Hello, I'm an expert in physics and human biology. Let's address your question about whether a person would die before hitting the ground when falling from a significant height.

The outcome of such a fall depends on several factors, including the height from which a person falls, the surface they land on, and their physical condition at the time of the fall. Generally, the force of impact can cause severe injuries or death, but there are also cases where individuals have survived falls that would be considered fatal under normal circumstances.

When a person falls from a great height, they reach a certain speed, known as terminal velocity, which is around 120 mph (193 km/h) for a human body in a spread-eagle position. At this speed, the impact with the ground is extremely forceful. However, death before impact is not a common occurrence unless the fall is from an altitude where the lack of oxygen or extreme cold could cause death, such as from an airplane at high altitude.

The human body is quite resilient, and there are instances where people have survived falls that should have been fatal due to factors like landing on a soft surface, water, or even being caught by someone or something before hitting the ground.

In conclusion, while it is possible for a person to die from the effects of a fall before hitting the ground in extreme cases, it is not the norm. The majority of fatalities from falls are due to the impact with the ground.

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It's really hard to die while you are in "free fall", ie, falling freely through the atmosphere. One scenario in which you can die in free fall is that you are so high up (say above 100,000 feet or about 30 km) that the intense cold and lack of oxygen will kill. But even this scenario can be survived.read more >>